Still adding to its approximately 45,000-hectare property package in Manitoba’s Flin Flon-Snow Lake mining camp, Rockcliff Copper TSXV:RCU acquired the Penex zinc project by staking. Located less than 200 metres from the historic Pen deposit, the property already has a deep-penetrating EM survey underway prior to drilling planned for this year.

All of the historic deposit’s lenses dip towards the new acquisition’s northern boundary, with at least one zinc-bearing lens dipping onto the property, the company stated. An historic, non-43-101 drill hole on Penex assayed 4.04% zinc-equivalent over 7.57 metres, including 6.73% over 2.64 metres.

Bore hole geophysics confirmed that conductivity continued downward within the property, strengthening at depth in an area untested by drilling, Rockcliff added.

The new turf “underpins our commitment to acquire properties either by staking or acquisition that have significant metal potential within trucking distance to milling facilities in this world class base and precious metals camp,” said president/CEO Ken Lapierre.

Rockcliff has work planned this year on four of the other properties that comprise its Snow Lake project. Two weeks ago the company reported assays from its 51%-held Talbot copper-polymetallic VMS property, where Phase II drilling continues. A resource calculated last year for three Talbot zones brought an average copper-equivalent grade of 5.5%. The inferred category totalled:

Rockcliff’s 2017 agenda also calls for work on its Bur zinc project, the Rail copper-gold-silver property and the former Laguna gold mine. Debt-free, the company currently has about $1.5 million on hand.

In another February 28 announcement, the Fraser Institute rated Manitoba second to Saskatchewan worldwide in the 2016 survey of 104 mining jurisdictions. “Competitive tax regimes, efficient permitting procedures and certainty surrounding environmental regulations and land claims have vaulted Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the top in the eyes of miners looking to invest,” said Kenneth Green, a co-author of the study.